Juventus shot-stopper, Gigi Buffon could delay retirement and potentially play on for one more year, despite his stated intention to retire at the end of the season.
This was revealed by the Juventus captain’s team mate Stephan Lichtsteiner.
Lichtsteiner, who made his 18th appearance of the season last weekend during his side’s 1-0 Serie A victory over Genoa, revealed that “Maybe he’ll stay for another year,” he said.
“We hope so, because he’s the best goalkeeper in the history of football.” he added.
Buffon, who turns 40 on Sunday, has amassed over 600 appearances for Juventus since joining from Parma in 2001.
He hanged his boots from international duty last year as Italy failed to qualify for this summer’s World Cup in Russia.
He enjoyed a decorated career in Turin, winning six consecutive Serie A titles, four Coppa Italias and five Supercoppas.
Juventus signed Wojciech Szczesny from Roma last summer, potentially as a long-term replacement for Buffon with the two switching between duties.
Buffon remains the choice goalkeeper for the Champions League campaign while Szczesny has recently established himself as the Serie A mainstay behind the sticks.
The European Cup is the only major club honour that has evaded Buffon – coming close on three occasions in 2003, 2015 and 2017, the most recent disappointment coming in a 4-1 loss to Real Madrid.
The veteran Italian will be hoping to win that coveted piece of silverware this season, thought to be his last for Juventus.
But Buffon is certainly making a case for another season at the Allianz Stadium as the Turin talisman still remains one of the best goalkeepers in European football.
He has kept five clean sheets in 10 Serie A appearances so far this season, conceding just nine goals overall and averaging 2.20 saves per game.
That said, Szczesny’s record is even more impressive. The Poland international has kept seven clean sheets in 11 league outings this term, conceding only six goals, registering 0.91 saves per game.
